Volunteers give a boost to Bolsa Chica habitat

Jan. 19, 2013

Updated Aug. 21, 2013 1:17 p.m.

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Jadyn Guevara, 11, helps plant one of hundreds of native plants while working on the native habitat restoration project taking place on the Bolsa Chica Mesa during the National Day of Service Saturday morning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Tate Stonerock, 12, of Huntington Beach pauses to take in the view during a water break while working on the native habitat restoration project taking place on the Bolsa Chica Mesa Saturday morning. Stonerock has been a junior steward for the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve for the past two years. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Volunteer Adrian Ramirez of Paramount drags a wagon full of shovels into the� Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve as several hundred people turned out during the National Day of Service to help with the native habitat restoration project taking place on the Bolsa Chica Mesa Saturday morning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Jennifer Webb of Costa Mesa, left, works with others to clear non-native grass while helping with the native habitat restoration project taking place on the Bolsa Chica Mesa Saturday morning. Several hundred people turned out during the National Day of Service. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Volunteers plant hundreds of native plants during the restoration project taking place on the Bolsa Chica Mesa during the National Day of Service Saturday morning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Paul and Pat Larkin of Huntington Beach help with the native habitat restoration project during Saturday's National Day of Service in the� Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve Saturday morning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Orange County High School of the Arts students volunteer helping with the native habitat restoration project taking place on the Bolsa Chica Mesa during the National Day of Service Saturday morning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Several hundred people turned out during the National Day of Service to help with the native habitat restoration project taking place on the Bolsa Chica Mesa Saturday morning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Ian Hansen, 12, of Lake Forest helps remove non-native grass along the Bolsa Chica Mesa during the National Day of Service Saturday morning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Sydney Neikirk, 13, left, helps Jadyn Guevara, 11, while working on the native habitat restoration project taking place on the Bolsa Chica Mesa during the National Day of Service Saturday morning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Orange County High School of the Arts students David Ahia II, Courtney Cochran, Kaley Kunzelman and Cameron Klig, from left, help work to plant some of the hundreds of native plants while working on the native habitat restoration project taking place on the Bolsa Chica Mesa during the National Day of Service Saturday morning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Several hundred people turned out during the National Day of Service to help with the native habitat restoration project taking place on the Bolsa Chica Mesa Saturday morning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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Pamela Focht of Long Beach puts a final touch on a stretch of trail work in the� Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve during the National Day of Service Saturday morning. KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Jadyn Guevara, 11, helps plant one of hundreds of native plants while working on the native habitat restoration project taking place on the Bolsa Chica Mesa during the National Day of Service Saturday morning.KEVIN SULLIVAN, ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Hundreds of people turned out Saturday morning to clear weeds and help plant hundreds of new native plants in the Bolsa Chica Ecological Reserve. The large numbers were due to the National Day of Service started by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and promoted by President Obama.

Junior steward Tate Stonerock, 12, of Huntington Beach, was happy to see the extra help that came with it being the National Day of Service.

"I like it when there's lots of people. You get more done in one day," he said.

The Bolsa Chica Stewards, the restoration team of the Bolsa Chica Land Trust, has been working in cooperation with the state Department of Fish and Wildlife on a native plant habitat restoration project for 17 years.

"We have so many people we're able to do so many things: evening out the trail, weeding around the plants we've already planted, removing non-native grasses and planting hundreds of new native ones," said lead steward Laura Pickett.

Courtney Cochran, 17, came to volunteer with several friends from the Orange County High School of the Arts.

"It's better than being locked in our rooms studying for finals," she said.

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